Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Even though I love spring and summer gardening the most, I do have to say, my garden looks lovely under a blanket of snow.
Sleep well, little garden. You've got a few more months of the cold.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Sometimes the best times in life are the simple unplanned walks through a blizzard. Snow muffles sound, so everything is quiet, and still. People are not around, and the whiteness of the night sky coupled with the silence brings a feeling of peace and calm. Being outside while the powdery snow falls is one of my favorite winter experiences.
++ How is your December going?
Friday, December 16, 2016
Christmas at our house is low key. We put up a few decorations, but ultimately just keep it simple. Our small house doesn't have a lot of storage, so all of our holiday decor fits in a small box (with the exception of our tree.) Most of our holiday decor is inherited, or picked up on vacation somewhere. It all has sentimental value, and brings up fun memories whenever we pull it out to decorate.
The table cloth and angel on our table were my mom's. The Nutcracker figurine ornaments were purchased for each of my siblings at different years in our very young lives. We each have a set from our childhood. The vintage fabric ornaments were my mom's as well.
I love this time of year, and everything it brings.
++ What type of memories do you think of this time of year?
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
The fun thing about gardens is that they are alive and take on their own personality. This is from that one day my Verbena decided to be dramatic and artsy.
What a little show off, right?
++ What personalities do you find in your garden?
Friday, December 9, 2016
If you know me well, you know that I'm obsessed with the sky. I take photos of it all the time, and have TONS of these photos in my collection.
Recently, I decided to compile a bunch of my favorite sunsets together in a beautiful video. Watching it makes me feel alive and feel peaceful.
Take a watch and let me know what you think!
Song: Ends of the Earth - Lord Huron
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Afterward, as a snowstorm rolled in quickly, we wandered through a Christmas tree lot. The pine scent was heavenly, as we wandered through the various heights and shapes. The thing I love about real pine trees is most of their needles are soft and smooth. Not prickly, the way our fake tree is. If I didn't have cats that love climbing real trees, we'd have opted for a tall and narrow blue spruce, to fit our small living room.
I plan to wander through more of these lots when I get a chance. I love slow December weekends, don't you?
++ Do you put up a real or fake Christmas tree?
Monday, December 5, 2016
One of my favorite perks to gardening is when you get a pleasant surprise from one of your plants. I brought the fuchsia plant in before the hard freeze because the blooms are such subtle little masterpieces and the plant can't handle a freeze. Recently, I was dusting a shelf in my kitchen, and happened to notice one of the little blooms hidden in the back of the plant. My plant didn't really bloom all winter last year when it was indoors, so this was unexpected, and very welcome.
I always love when my fuchsia is in bloom.
++ What pleasant surprise have you had recently?
Friday, December 2, 2016
Nasturtiums were new to my garden this year, and I have to say, I loved them. Their disc-shaped leaves, and the vibrant flowers in pops of red, orange and yellow, really helped to brighten the patio. I bought a couple packets of seeds, a jewel-mix and peach melba, and put them in several pots around the patio. I loved the way the flowers would bloom on thin stems above the foliage.
When fall hit, the seed production hit full swing and I collected almost 30 seeds to dry and plant next year. Nasturtium leaves taste peppery, and add kick to any salad. I cut them up in to ribbons, and mixed them in to a chef salad. I didn't try the flowers, but I hear they are a great, colorful addition to a meal.
Nasturtiums are easy annuals. They grow quickly, and require subtle care. Plant them after the last frost in the spring in moist, and well-draining soil. They work really well in pots, or in the ground. They don't require fancy soil, and actually bloom better in poor soil. You can neglect them a little, too, without any issues. Water regularly, but not too regularly. They love sun or partial shade, but bloom more in sun.
Nasturtium seeds have a hard shell on them. Soak the seeds for 12-24 hours prior to planting. You can also nick the seed coating to ensure better germination. Plant the seeds about half an inch deep, and about 6-10 inches apart. Seeds will sprout within 7-10 days. They grow a lot of leaves and will fill in the gaps between. To encourage more blooms, deadhead the plants.
Nasturtiums are great to plant near your vegetable plants because they attract aphids, whiteflies, slugs, and other pests to them. This keeps them off your main vegetables, and acts as an all-natural pest deterrent.
In the fall when the seeds appear, you can either wait for them to fall off, and collect them, or once they come off easily, you can pull them off the stem. Let them dry out in a cool dark place before storing them in a seed envelope.
Pictured varieties in this post: Peach Melba, and a Jewel Mix
++ Have you grown Nasturtiums in your garden? Have you tried eating the flowers?
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